Cobb Throws Perfect Game, UCSB Wins Two More

TEMPE, Ariz. -
Cobb Throws Perfect Game, UCSB Wins Two More
The Gauchos improve to 4-0 on the season with wins over McNeese State and Wagner.

TEMPE, Ariz. - Freshman Krista Cobb's perfect game against Wagner highlighted UC Santa Barbara's second day at the 2009 Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. The Gauchos defeated McNeese State, 9-2, before shutting out Wagner, 7-0 on Saturday. With the wins, UCSB improves to 4-0 on the young season.

Cobb, who made her first collegiate start against the Seahawks, threw a complete seven innings and retired 21 straight batters. She posted eight strikeouts in the victory.

Offensively, Cobb got help from her teammates with all but two Gauchos getting at least one hit in the victory. Senior Christine Ramos went 2-for-3 with a walk, two stolen bases and an RBI while junior Jessica Ziegler went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Freshman Keilani Jennings and sophomore Mary Episcopo both hit doubles.

Cobb got the ball rolling at the top of the first inning as she struck out the first three batters swinging. At the bottom of the second, Jennings was the first Gaucho to score, crossing home plate on a wild pitch after earning a walk. Lainey DePompa brought home the second Gaucho run with an RBI single and she came home shortly thereafter on another wild pitch to give UCSB a 3-0 advantage.

The Gauchos scored the rest of their runs at the bottom of the fourth. Amanda Ziegler hit a one-out single before Priscilla Perez followed with a single of her own. DePompa walked, loading the bases. Episcopo's double followed, driving two runners home. Ramos and Jessica Ziegler posted back-to-back RBI singles giving UCSB a 7-0 advantage.

During Saturday's first contest against McNeese State, senior pitcher Tami Weston pitched a complete game allowing just two earned runs on seven hits. Weston struck out three and walked two.

At the plate, Ramos went 3-for-4 with two runs and two stolen bases. Sophomore Jessica Beristianos was 3-for-3 with one home run and four RBI. Jennings hit a two-run homer, her third home run of her young collegiate career. Junior Jessica Ziegler rounded out the standout performances going 3-for-4 with a stolen base and two runs.

Against the Cowgirls, UCSB opened the first inning with a two-run homer from Beristianos. McNeese fought back at the bottom of the inning when Whitney Corbello hit an RBI single to put McNeese within one run.

At the top of the third, Ziegler hit an RBI single and Jennings hit a three-run home run to give the Gauchos a 6-1 advantage. An RBI single from Beristianos stretched the Gaucho lead at the top of the fifth to 7-1.

The Cowgirls managed one more run at the bottom of the sixth, but UCSB poured on two more runs after another single from Beristianos to finish the game with a 9-2 advantage.

UCSB's final two games at the Kajikawa Classic against Penn State and No. 7 Arizona were cancelled due to inclement weather. The Gauchos will be in action again on Thursday, Feb. 12 when they face Stanford on the first day of the Campbell/Cartier Classic being hosted by San Diego State.